The University of Aberdeen has signed a memorandum of understanding with the National Rehabilitation Centre (NRC) Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
The Memorandum will cement the close working relationship between the University and the NRC, and bolster the NRC’s target to be an international leader in the treatment of drug and alcohol addiction by using the University’s expertise and experience.
The Academic Primary Care team at the University of Aberdeen have almost twenty years’ experience in researching drug and alcohol addiction, seeking new knowledge on the perspectives of health professionals regarding treatment, designing services that meet the needs of drug and alcohol users, and setting up trials of new treatment approaches. The University also offers a wide range of learning opportunities through its postgraduate and undergraduate programmes.
Professor Ian Diamond, Principal and Vice-Chancellor, signed the memorandum on 14 September alongside Dr Hamad Al Ghaferi, Director of the NRC, who himself is undertaking his doctorate at the University of Aberdeen.
Dr Catriona Matheson, a senior research fellow with extensive experience in the field of drugs, alcohol and public health research, will be the research lead for the University of Aberdeen and coordinate student projects, as well as providing research consultancy. Welcoming the opportunity for closer collaboration Dr Matheson said “Our team is delighted to have this framework agreed, and to contribute what we have learnt to help NRC achieve its ambition to be an international leader in this challenging field.
“We hope this will also prove a model for approaching future collaborations in research and undergraduate and postgraduate teaching in medicine, nursing and applied health sciences.”
Two research projects have already been proposed as part of the agreement, and an Aberdeen medical student will visit the NRC in January 2012 to conduct analysis of its existing data.
The NRC was launched in 2002 and is supported by the President of the UAE. A Presidential law has positioned the NRC as the reference centre for addiction treatment in the UAE.